Water-wheel



FRANK M. BOOKWALTER, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

WATER-WH EEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,259, dated April28, 1891.

Application filed September 29, 1890- Serial No. 366,544. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, FRANK M. BOOKWALTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Springfield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in later-Wheels, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in thatclass of waterwheels known as hurdy gurdy wheels, wherein the bucketscarried by the wheels are revolved by the momentum or force of streamsof water projected under high pressure; and my improvements havereference to the position of the buckets on the wheel and to their formor construction,and have reference also to the nozzles through which thewater is projected, all of which will hereinafter more fully appear, andbe pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andon which like reference-lettersindicate corresponding parts, Figure 1represents an inverted plan view or a view looking upward at the partsshown in Fig. 2; Fig.2, a side elevation of a part of the wheel carryingthe buckets and of the nozzle; Fig. 3, a sectional view of a portion ofthe wheel-rim, showing a back view from the front side; Fig. at, asectional View on the line a: a: of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 a sectional viewof the bucket on the line y y of Fig. 3.

The letter A designates a wheel, or, more properly speaking, a sectionof a wheel, the rim B of which is flat on either side to accommodate itto the easy and ready fitting thereto of the buckets. The buckets areindicated at O, and are provided at one side with a flange or web D,having bolt-holes which match with similar holes in the rim B. Thelocation of the buckets on the rim is preferably such that the sameholes in the rim and the same bolts will answer to secure a set ofbuckets. The

v buckets being fiat on the flanged side are easily fitted to the rim bybeing planed off. This is a matter of importance in the construction ofthe water-wheel.

' The buckets are preferably cast, and consist of four sides a b c d,which merge into one another and into the bottom 9. The interior of thebucket-s is devoid of angles. The edge of the side a is sharp, so thatthe water will not be obstructed by the presence of any appreciablewidth, whereby the water enters the buckets with perfect readiness,passing along the side a toward the bottom, and is gradually directedoutward by thecontour of the bottom and of the sides 0 and d. Thecurvature of the sides c and d and of the bottom 6, as shown in Fig. 4,gives the water the outward deflection. The curvature of the sides a andb and of the bottom 2 gives the water somewhat of an upward deflectionin relation to the bucket, and the two deflections thus given the waterresult in causing its delivery from the buckets at essentially the upperpart of the side 0, or that end nearest to the side I). The momentum ofthe water acts effectively in driving the buckets, while its reactioncontinues to act upon the buckets and assist in the operation of drivingthem.

The momentum and the reactionary action of the water are spent by thetime of its delivery or discharge laterally at the side indicated. Theobtaining of this result I do not lay claim to, but understand it to beold; but the novelty of my invention is in the peculiar contour of thebucket here described, whereby corners and angles are avoided and yet alateral discharge of the water from the buckets secured. The combinationof curves and the blending of one into the other produce this result.

Another peculiarity of my buckets lies in the fact that the edgescomposed of the sides 0 and d incline backward from the upper edge, asshown particularly in the last bucket in Fig. 2. The object of thisconstruction is to make the knife-edge as where thefiwater enters thelowest part of the bucket, whereby the buckets passing toward the streamwill not obstruct it or come in contact with it, except whentheirinterior is presented to the stream. Another feature of my bucketis that the edge cl is preferably reduced in thickness to facilitate theentrance of the water into the buckets.

this pipe, with a suitable gasket G to form a tight joint, and theannulus is provided with two screw-threaded openings shouldered tosupport the gaskets H and adapted to receive the nozzles I and J. Thesenozzles gradually contract in diameter toward their discharge ends andare connected near the latter ends to each other by a device capable ofadjusting them to and from each other. Aconvenient form of device toeffect such adjustment is a right andleft handed screw-threaded rod K,screwed into the lugs L, carried by the nozzles and provided with a nutM by which to manipulate it. By such means the distance of the nozzlesfrom each other is increased or decreased, and consequently the exactpoint for the entrance of the Water into the buckets regulated. It iswell known that in order to secure the maximum results the water shouldenter the buckets at the proper place. In the manufacture of apparatusof this kind it is more or less difficult to so locate the nozzles withrespect to the line of the travel of the buckets that the streams willbe projected into the buckets at the exact proper place. At least itinvolves a high grade of work and a consequent increase in the marketprice to accomplish this if the nozzles are fixed Hence I adapt them tobe adjusted. It is also preferred to widen the bucket on the outer edge0, so as to permit of a freer discharge of the water.

IVhile I have spoken of the Water discharg ing essentially along theupper half of the side 0, still it may discharge over the whole orgreater part of said edge.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a water-wheel. of the character described, thecombinatiomwithawheel proper provided with a rim having opposite facesand adapted to support buckets, of buckets secured to each face andhaving flanges, the

bottom and all the sides being curved to blend one into the other, andthe peripheral or outer edge being sharpened and forming the enteringedge, and the outside lateral edge forming the discharge part, suchshape and blending of the sides and bottom causing such lateraldischarge of the water so entering at the peripheral part, and a doublenozzle mounted to direct a jet of water into each series of buckets andpointing to such outer or peripheral edge of each bucket.

2. In a water-wheel of the character described, the combination, with awheel proper and buckets carried thereby, of a duplex nozzle, eachnozzle proper being adjustable with respect to its series of buckets,and means to effect such adjustment.

3. In a water-Wheel of the character described, the combination, with awheel proper and buckets secured to the. opposite sides of the rimthereof, the buckets being of substantially the type described, of aduplex nozzle and an adjusting device connecting the nozzles propertogether, whereby they may be adjusted in position with respect to theirrespective series of buckets.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK M. BOOKl/VALTER.

Witnesses:

WARREN HULL, A. N. SUMMERS.

